Strategies to Enhance a Childs Learning Abilities

Introduction
Problem-solving skills are necessary for every area of life since they are effective both in the business world and in handling personal challenges. These skills can be achieved through practice and often involve some steps that not only improve their effectiveness but the overall sense of accountability. These steps are sequential starting from the definition of the problem and gradually moving towards the selection of the best solution with minimum negative side effects. Therefore, addressing the initial step succntly will be instrumental in guaranteeing the success of the entire process. In particular, the analysis of the child’s school project in this case study raises questions of ethics and morality but ultimately boils down to the use of a six-step approach to producing the most suitable alternative. By understanding the problem innately, it will be possible to ensure the child gains a sense of responsibility for their learning curriculum without external interference from the parent, thus forming an integral reference point for future school projects.
Step One: Definition of the Problem
In this case, the child has been tasked with coming up with a school project as an assignment in their learning course. The child shows enthusiasm and excitement over getting to handle their project and proceeds to conduct research and collect the relevant materials needed. However, according to the assignment sheet, the child is missing some of the materials necessary to ensure success in her outcome. Furthermore, the quality of her design, whereas adequate, could use some minor adjustments which would make it better. These factors are further polarized with the fact that other parents are taking a direct approach to their children’s projects by assisting them in buying materials and even helping them to come up with their final design. Therefore, the problem I wish to solve is how to effectively ensure that my child makes the most out of the school project with as little negative side effects as possible on both her education and future.
Step Two: Analysis
The school project challenges matters of ethics and morality whereby my values are weighed and balanced against the results I desire for my child. With the desire to ensure the child acquires and maintains a sense of responsibility for her projects, I would inevitably cost her a good score and force her to play in an uneven field since her classmates are being assisted by their parents (Pizlo, 2012). However, since other parents appear to be lending a helping hand to their children’s projects, they would get higher scores, which would reflect poorly on my child’s performance. Nonetheless, by helping my child, I will ruin my moral standards in the process and teach her always to expect to be bailed out when it comes to her schoolwork whereas instead, she is supposed to be building up her resolve and skill set in preparation for adulthood.
However, there is the underlying pressure to be not only a parent but also a teacher. Therefore, stepping I and contributing my ideas as the other parent has done, would put my child on an equal footing with the others and help her to compete more adequately. My knowledge would be considered a source of secondary research based on the experiences I had in life and the designs I made when I was younger. Disregarding the moral consequences of the decision and analyzing it from purely a logical viewpoint, children who have privilege regarding resources and data are more likely to get ahead in life (Tarvin, 2016). It includes those children with trust funds and those who are not born with chronic or life-threatening diseases. Therefore, getting the best supplies for my child improves her chances of becoming the best, which would contribute to her academic progress to the university level and ultimately into the working world.
Step Three and Four: Generating and Evaluating Options
One solution would be to show her past projects that have been done by other children with the hope that she will gauge her and consequently improve upon the idea. Through collecting other projects done in the past, the may be able to indirectly show her the level and class within which she is supposed to compete in (Doyle, 2017). Furthermore, by showing her the projects only without any other form of assistance, any ideology she formulates afterward will be her own. Therefore, I refrain from indulging in her projects as my parents did and in the process assist her to become a better researcher and a person who comes up with her ideas in life.
Another solution would relate to hiring a tutor who is an expert in dealing with school projects. This tutor could be an engineer who finds solutions to most difficulties or problems. By using this option, the probability of success increases since she will have a knowledgeable person at her aid in case she has any questions. Furthermore, the tutor will help her develop complex ideas and find the best raw materials that will perfect her project making it adequate to present to her subject teacher. With the combined assistance of the tutor and my resources, we will be able to guide her to do an exceptional project that will outshine her peers and give her a high grade.
Alternatively, I can completely avoid interfering with my child’s project and fail to mention to her to take note of the materials she does not include from the assignment sheet. Having taken the stand, I will also avoid contributing any ideas to her project designs and hope that her research will be enough to compete effectively with her classmates. Despite the high risk of failure that emanates from this option, it presents the opportunity to learn from one’s mistakes and improve upon them in the future. Therefore, she will not only develop her skill set but also gain a sense of accountability and responsibility on the work that she does.
Taking an interest in her project and assisting her through the purchase of materials and giving her ideas are solutions the problem. Much like the parent viewed in the grocery store, using my resources to buy the things she omitted from the assignment list will ensure she gets the best result from her design. In addition, by aiding her with ideas and helping her research, I can weed out the bad ideas from the good ones, which would improve her chances of success. However, this option might make her over-reliant on her parents and eventually teach her irresponsibility when it comes to her education. It might spiral out of control as she gets older and expects handouts rather than working on her projects and goals through hard work and consistency.
Step Five: Decision-Making
Out of all the options presented, staying out of my child’s way would have the least drawbacks in the future and achieve the desired effect of teaching her about responsibility. Contrary to what other parents might be doing, I will refrain from buying her supplies to carry out her school project but rather only lend assistance where she asks for it. In this manner, she will be able to make her own decisions and choices on what she will use and the design in which the project will work. Furthermore, her research should be sufficient for her level of education to enable her to come up with a substantial project. My moral values and ethics will be preserved in the process, and her sense of accountability will develop.
The negative effects of this decision include the fact that the items she neglected to view from her assignment sheet will contribute to her failure (Kova?, 2017). She will end up performing poorly in her school project which will affect her grades. Nonetheless, I will have to trust that she will learn from the process and develop better comprehension and research skills that will help her to scrutinize every piece of data given by the teacher.
Step Six: Implementation and Reflection
To carry out the recommended solution, I will make a note of the timetable within which she is supposed to develop her project. Consequently, I will monitor her growth silently over time to take note of her progress, however, I will be careful not to interfere I her developments. One day before her submission date, I will request a presentation of the project, which will enable me to gain a better insight of how my solution worked out.
Conclusion
In every problem, either some solutions or one solution stands out the most. Through a rigorous process of thought, it is possible to identify the cause or causes of the problem, analyze it and make a decent decision. As demonstrated by the child’s school project case, the best solution has minimum drawbacks on all parties and eventually ends up preventing future crises.


References
Doyle, A. (2017). Problem Solving Skills and Examples. The Balance. Retrieved Nov. 9, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/problem-solving-skills-with-examples-2063764
Kova?, E. (2017). 7 Steps for Effective Problem Solving. 24alife.com. Retrieved 9 November 2017, from https://www.24alife.com/advice/stress/7-steps-in-resolving-problems
Pizlo, Z. (2012). Human Problem Solving in 2010. The Journal of Problem Solving, 4(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1932-6246.1120
Tarvin, A. (2016). The 5 Steps of Problem Solving. Humorthatworks.com. Retrieved Nov. 9, 2017, from http://www.humorthatworks.com/learning/5-steps-of-problem-solving/